A little over a year since purchasing the 8.1 ha former Tetley Brewery site in Leeds, Vastint’s design team have revealed their emerging proposals for a vibrant, mixed-use, park-side neighbourhood at the heart of the South Bank; an exciting new addition to Leeds’ great city centre. These proposals, which have been worked out in close consultation with Leeds City Planning Department, are to be presented today (Thursday 6 October) to the City’s Plans Panel as part of the pre-application process.
The centrepiece of the scheme is a generously sized urban park, embracing, and building on, Leeds City Council’s vision for a park in this area. This first phase of the development makes a significant contribution to this city centre park, which will be added to in the second phase of Vastint’s development, south of Crown Point Road.
Andrew Cobden, Vastint UK Services’ Managing Director explains:
“Our early delivery of this city park will bring considerable benefits to the city and its residents. Its scale provides a great canvas for the buildings that will frame it, strengthen its sense of place, and invite people into it. We are proud to be working with LCC to deliver a key part of the vision for the South Bank, the expansion of the city core and a vital link connecting the city centre with the Tetley and its creative neighbours, through to the education district and to the communities to the south.”
The cluster of heritage buildings will be respected and their setting enhanced by the surrounding park and by other active ground floor uses and multi-use outdoor space around the Tetley. These uses will include food and beverage offers, other retail, as well as cultural, leisure and community uses. Connectivity, has also been a key consideration, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists, both north-south with the enhancement of the Hunslet Stray, and east-west to Leeds Dock and a future HS2 concourse. In addition, as part of the process we will be working closely with stakeholders to rationalise the local road network, including the incorporation of CityConnect2 cycle scheme.
Homes and work spaces that offer a positive life-work balance provide the backdrops to the north and south of the park. Housing will be mainly on the northern edge, with employment, cultural uses and a hotel, along the western and southern edge. The housing will include a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom homes. Vastint is currently also exploring the provision of more flexible homes that can be altered to match changing lifestyles, enabling people to remain part of their chosen community. In line with Leeds City Council’s policy, 5% of the homes will be for affordable housing, which will also follow Vastint’s tenure-blind design approach.
These proposals will be further developed after the Plans Panel meeting and following wider public consultation later in November, with a view to submitting an outline planning application in early 2017.
Summary of the key numbers for the outline planning application for Phase 1
• Covers 6.6 ha of land (of a total of 8.1 ha owned by Vastint)
• 2.3 ha (over 5 acres) of urban park
• Up to 1000 homes; 5% of which will be for affordable housing, in line with LCC’s policy
• Up to 85,000m2 employment space, including spaces for creative industries
• Up to 15,000m2 active uses including retail, (A1-5), cultural, educational, leisure or health (C2, D1,D2)
• Hotel, up to 400 rooms and ancillary facilities